Coin sorting machine



Jan. 3l, 1933. F, F, DAUGHERTY 1,895,975

GOIN SORTING MACHINE Jam` 31, 1933. F. F. DAUGHERTY 1,895,975

COIN soRTING MACHINE Filed Feb. 26, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2' UNITED sia'res PATENT OFFICE FOUNTDAUGHEBTY, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI, AssIGNoa oFONE-TIIIRD To WILLIAM II. scimnn, or sr. LOUIS, MISSOURI kcom SoIvrING MACHINE Application led February26, 1930. Serial No'. 431,389.

. The generalobjectof lthis invention :is to provide a-.novel machine for sorting coins and tokens of various sizes and denominations; and, While not restricted to such use,

by kthe conductor who then inserts them one at a time in the appro riate tubes of a device called a changer, w ich is either strapped .to his body, or mounted on some part of the car within convenient reach. Each tubel of the changer lis provided with an ejecting device, and the coins, or tokens, are removed at will, one vat a time, from the proper tubes by the conductor in' making change for, or selling tokens to a passenger.

In the use of my invention as applied to the'fabove, or a similar type of fare-box, after n the coins leave the registering device of the fare-box they fall through a chute into my improved coin-sorting mechanism, which is.

operated from `the same shaft which turns the coin registering mechanism above it. Thecoin-sorting mechanism includes al series of coin chutes, and as it is operated thecoins of varying ydenominations fall into correspending chutes, which lead them to openings `in vthev rear sides of 'the tubes of the changer into which they fall by gravity. Thus the conductor does not have to do anything more than turn the crank of the'farebox, and the tubes of the changer will always be suppliedwith coins and the only handling of the coins by the conductor is when making change for a passenger. In ythe case of a one-man c'ar, where the motorman also acts f `as Athe conductor, he may manipulatek the crank of the fare-box and thus automatically sort the coins, or coins and tokens, if .the latter be used, Withoutk taking his eyes oill the road, which is a very important factor in preventing accidents. .Y

The invention, as to its leading features, is characterized by a revolving drum mounted on a vertical axis and having a circular series of short chutes, or receptacles, each of which is of a size toreceive a coinof the largest size the fare-box is adapted to handle. This drum constitutes a coin carrier and operates to carry the vcoins over and deposit them in slots in a circular plate, or selector, which slots correspond in size, respectively, to the sizes kof the various coins or tokens, and through which slots the coins fall by gravity into the appropriate chutes leading to the tubesk of the changer. Mounted on the circular plate ink association with the bottoms of the'slot-s therein, are a series of spring-con- Y trolledarms which, in the rotation of the coin carrier, are caused to be drawn beyond the slots and then released, so that'in the event a coin `or token should come to rest in a slot too small to permit of its passage therethrough, the corresponding arm for that slot, when released, will be swept rapidly over the under side of the slot by the power yof its spring and cause the deposited coin to be knocked upward into the receptacle of the drum ,"which delivered the coin to the slot.

v Ordinarily, without my improvement, a coin in one `oi these receptacles'in the coin carrier passing over a slot in the plate too small to permitthe coinl to pass through,-will simply be carried or rolled out of such slot, and any succeedingfslot or slots toosmall to receive it, until it arrives in position over the slot of a size to permit it to `pass through.

It may chance, however, that under the above conditions a. coin would lodge in a slot with suicient irmness to stop the rotation of the drum, and to prevent this I provide for positively knocking outk of each slot any coin resting therein too large to pass through lower part of a fare-box provided with my improved coin sorting machine;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3, but including part of the construction sectioned out of Fig. 3, and omitting the changer shown at the left of Fig. 3, the view being on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 5 is a sectional plan view taken on the line of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 6-6 of Fig. 4, but on an enlarged scale;

Fig. 7 is a top plan view on an enlarged scale of a selector plate and associated coin chutes; and

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail view, showing a portion of the coin carrying drum and its associated selector plate.

Referring now to the drawings, the nu mcral 1 indicates a casing inclosing the coin sorting mechanism, on the top of which is a cup 2 for receiving the coins from a chute 3 leading from the fare-box. From the cup 9. the coins pass through a chute 4 into the sorting mechanism hereinafter described. As shown-in Figs. 1 and 2, the casing 1 is secured to thebottom of the casing 5 of a fare-box.

Coins passing through the chute 4 fall upon the top of a circular drum or carrier G, Figs. 3 and 4, inclosed in a casing 7, which carrier is provided at equal distances around its circumferential edge portion with slots 8, each of which is of a size to receive a coin of thelargest size which will pass through the register of the fare-box above it. The coin carrier 6 has a series of short chutes, or receptacles, 9, Fig. 4, connecting the coin slots 8 in the top 10 of the carrier with similar slots 11 in vthe 'bottom 12 of the carrier. The coin carrier G is adapted to rotate on a circular plate 13, Figs. 4 and 5, which acts as the selector in sorting the coins. In the present instance this selector plate isL provided with live coin slots, 14, 15, 16,17 and 18, respectively, Figs. 5 and 7, arranged in circular series and which correspond in length with the width of the respective coins to be sorted, the slot 14 being of a size to receive the smallest coin to be sorted, in this case a dime, and the slot- 18 being of a size to receive the largest coin to be sorted which, for example, would be a half dollar. The intermediate slots 15, 16 and 17 will then correspond in size to a penny, a nickel and a quarter, respectively. However, as will be understood, the slots may be varied in number and size according to the nature and different sizes of the coins to be sorted. A feature of the invention is in the provision of means for ejecting from any slot a coin too large to pass therethrough and which, if not ejected, might act to jamb the machine. This mechanism will nou7 be described.

Pivotally mounted on the bottom of the selector plate 18, as indicated at 19, 20, 21 and 22, respectively, Fig. 5, are a series of radial arms 23, which extend outward slightly beyond the periphery of the selector plate and are movable under the coin slots 14, 15, 16 and 1'?, respectively. Each of these arms is normally held against a stop 24 by means of a coil spring 25. Projecting downward at intervals from the periphery of the bottom of the coin carrier G are a series cf lugs 2G which are adapted to simultaneously and progressively the outer ends of the arms` 23 and move them over and beyond the coin slots with which they are respectively asse` l ciated against the resistance of the coil springs 25. llVhen the arms so engaged have been brought to a position beyond the ends f of the coin slots, the lugs 2G ride ell' of said arms, ermitting the springs 25 to snap the arms 23 across the respective coin slots 14 to 1T, for the purpose of linocling baclr from one or all of the slot-s any coin which is too large to pass through the same, as will be more clearly described later. The selector plate 13 is liizedly secured in 1position in the easing 7 and is provided with a central aperture 27,*which alliords a bearing for a hub Q8, on the upper side of a worm gear Q9, said hub being clamped to the bottom 19 of coin carrier 6 by means of a setfscrew 3U and washer 31. The coin carrier G is adapted to be rotated by means of a sprocket 31, Fig. 2, which is turned by the crank From the sprocket 31 a chain 33 passes to a small sprocket 34 on the outer end of a shaft 35 which is provided v ith a worm 36, Fig. 4, meshing with the worm wheel 29, which, as above explained, is non-rotatably secured to the bottom of coin carrier 6 by means of the set-screw ,80.`

y Located under the selector plate 1.3 are a series of coin chutes 37, Figs. 8 and 7, the inlets to which are located directly under the respective slots 14 to 18 in the selector plate,

nd the outletends of which, as shown by Figs. 2 and 3, pass through the front wall of the casing 1, in line with openings 3S, shown by dotted lines in Fig. l, provided in the rear of Vthe upper ends of the tubes) of the changer 40. rIlhis changer is preferably secured on the front wall of the casing 1 by slot and screw arrangement indicated at 41. The operation is as follows:

Coins dropping through the chute 3 from the fare-box into cup? pass through the chute 4 and fall into one or the other ofthe receptacles 9 of the coin carrier 6. It will be understood that the slot S of each receptacle 9 passes immediately under the lower end of chute 4 in the rotation of the coin carrier. As the coin carrier revolves the coin in the receptacle 9 under each slot 8 will be carried f over the slots 14 to 18 of the selectorplate A13.

tube 39 of the changer 40 for receiving dimes.V The same applies to coins of other sizes, which readily pass through the slots in the selector plate of a size to `receive it. It. will be understood of course, that the coins received by the carrier pass first over the smallest slot 14 and kin order over the succeeding slots 15 to 18, so that it is impossible for a coin of one size to be delivered into a slot intended .forl a coin of a larger size. Some ycoins do notdiffer very greatly as to size, however, andit Linight happen that a coin would fall into one of thecoin slots of the selector plate too small to permit the coin to pass through and yet large enough to permit the coin to engage the end of the lslot and stop the rotation of the lcoin carrier. If, for example, a penny should fall into the slot 14 intended `for a` dime, it could not pass through said slot but it might lodge therein, and, as stated, prevent the coin carrier from moving it around to its proper slot 15. To obviate this result, as soon as the receptacles 9 of the coin carrier start to pass f beyond the correspondingslots 14 tcl8 of the selector plate, the lugs 26 of the coin carrier pass oit of the ends of the arms 23, p ermitting springs 25 to move said arms swiftly under the, said slots, with the result, in the case of the penny above referred to, that it would be knocked upward out of the dirne slot 14 back into its receptacle 9 of the coin carrier, and the latter would carry it around un` til it reached its own slot 15, throughV which it would fall. It will be obvious that no arm 23 is required :tor the largest slot 18, as only a half dollar will ever reach this slot, and of course it will pass through the same at once.

As the receptacles 9 are slightly wider than a half dollar, and as a half dollar is approxi# matelyone-fourth of an inch greater in di#l aineter than aiquarter, and, of course, 'much greater in width than a nickel, a penny or a dime; and further, as the arms 23 are released as soon as they start to move past the ends of the slots 14 to 18,'it will be clear that an oversize coin can be knocked upward into a receptacle by an arm before the rear end of the receptacle can engage the coin and jam the machine.

It will be observed that my improved coin sorting machine is complete in itself and may therefore be used for `sorting coins independent of a fare-box, or any other device for delivering coins thereto, and also without having the changer 40 attached thereto. For example, the machine could be used in banks, commercial houses and other places where a large number of coins have to be sorted, the operator simply placing the coinsl by hand into the cup 2 and turning ,the crank 32. The sorted coins passing out of the'various chutes 37 could then drop into suitable containers provided for the purpose, or be otherwise maintained in separated relation. i f

lrVhile'I have illustrated in the accompanying drawings the best form of rmy invention now known to ine, it should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the precise details of construction illustrated, but

that various changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts could be made withoutdcparting from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. In a coin sorting machine, in combination with aselector plate having a circular seiies of slots therein graduated in size to c correspond to the various sizes of the coins to be sorted, a coin carrier rotatably mounted above said plate and provided with means movable over said slots for delivering coins thereto, and means for ejecting from anyslot a coin delivered thereto of a size too lar-ge to pass through such slot. f

2.-In a coin sorting machine, in combinationwith a selector plate having a circular series of slots therein graduated in size to correspond to the various sizes of the coins to besorted, a coinfcarrier rotatably mounted above said plate andprovided with a circular series of open-end coinreceptacles movable over said slots for deliveringcoins thereto, an'y ejectingfdevice associated with each slot, yand means for siinultaneouslyfactuating all of said ejecting devices whilethe receptacles of Lthe carrier are in register with ysaid slots to knock back into any receptacle from any slot a coin delivered thereto from such 'receptacle of-'a size too large to pass through such slot. i

3. In a coinsorting machine in combination with a selector plate having a circular series of slotstherein Agraduated in size to correspond to the various lsizes of the coins to be sorted, and progressingr in sizefroin the smallest to the largest slot, a coinr carrier ro-` tatably mounted above said plate and provided With means movable over said slots for delivering coins thereto, and automatic means for ejecting from any slot a coin delivered thereto ot a size too large to pass through such slot.

4. Ina coin sorting machine, in combination with a selector plate having a circular series of slots therein graduated in size to correspond to the various sizes of the coins to be sorted, and progressing in size from the smallest tothe largest slot, a coin carrier rotatably' mounted above said plate and provided With means movable over said slots for delivering coins thereto, and means'actuated by said carrier for ejecting from any slot v a coin delivered thereto of a size too large to pass through such slot. Y

In a coin sorting machine, in combination with a selector plate having a circular series of slots therein graduated in size to correspond to the various sizes of the coins to be sorted, and progressing in size from the smallest to the largest slot, a coin carrier rotatably mounted above said plate and provided with means movable over said slots for delivering coins thereto, and spring-actuated means associated with each slot and adapted to be actuated by said carrier for ejecting from any slot a coin delivered thereto ota size too large to pass through such slot.

6. In a coin sorting machine, in combination With a selector plate having a circular series of slots therein graduated in size t0 correspond to the various sizes of the coins to be sorted, a coin carrier rotatably mounted above said plate and provided with means movable over said slots for delivering coins therein, and spring-controlled means associated with each slot and adapted to be simultaneously actuated by said carrier for ejecting from any slot a coin delivered thereto of a size too large to pass through such slot.

7. In a coin sorting machine, in combination with a selector plate having a circular series of slots therein graduated in size to correspond to the various sizes of the coins to be sorted, a coin carrier rotatably mounted above said plate and provided with means movable over said slots for delivering coins thereto, a spring-controlled member associated with each slot, and means on said carrier for simultaneously actuating all of said members While said receptacles are in register with said slots, for ejecting from any slot a coin delivered thereto of a size too large to vpass through such slot.

8. In a coin sorting machine, in combination with a. selector plate having a circular series of slots therein graduated in size to correspondto the various sizes of the coins to be sorted, a chute leading from each of said slots, a coin carrier rotatably mounted above said plate and provided With means movable over said slots for delivering coins thereto, and means for ejecting from any slot a coin delivered thereto ot a size too large to pass through such slot.

9. In a coin sorting machine, in combination with a selector plate having a circular series of slots therein graduated in size to correspond tothe various sizes of the coins to be sorted and progressing in size from the smallest to the largest slot, a circular series of coin receptacles movable over said slots :tor delivering coins thereto, each of said receptacles being of a. size to receive the largest coin to be sorted, said receptacles being adapted to pass from a coin receiving point over said slots in order from the smallest tothe largest slot, and automatic means operating While the receptacles are in register With said slots to knock back from any slot into its registering receptacle a coin delivered theretoby such receptacle of a size too large to pass through such slot.

10. In a coin sorting machine, in combination with a selector plate having a circular series of slots therein graduated in size to correspond to the various sizes of the coins .to be sorted, and progressing in size from the smallestto the largest slot, a circular series of open-end coin receptacles spaced to correspond in position with the slots in the selector plate and movable over said slots for delivering coins thereto, and al plurality of automatic means, one of which is associated with each slot, operating simultaneously while said receptacles are in register with said slots to knock back from any slot into its registering receptacle a coin delivered thereto by such receptacle of a size too large to pass through such slot.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

' F OUNT F. DAUGHERTY. 

